Rule based system and method for automatically generating photomask orders in a specified order format

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to a rule based system and method for automatically generating photomask orders in a specified format, and more particularly, relates to software which includes templates in which photomask order data is entered and rules for guiding the user in entering such data and rules for ensuring that such data is entered accurately. The rules and templates implemented in the present invention are organized and stored in a manner which allows for the software to be easily adapted to meet the criteria of any existing standard (e.g., SEMI P10) or proprietary photomask order format now known or hereinafter developed. Additionally, the software of the present invention provides for the ability to generate new photomask orders using templates and/or existing photomask order data.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/209,254, filed Jul. 30, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a rule based system andmethod for automatically generating photomask orders in a specifiedformat, and more particularly, relates to a software-based applicationwhich automatically generates photomask orders in a specified formatthrough the use of templates and rules which guide a user through theprocess of generating a photomask order in a complete and accuratemanner. The rules and templates are established based on therequirements of a particular standard (e.g., SEMI P10) or proprietyphotomask order format and are organized and stored in a manner whichcan be adapted to meet the criteria of both modified and new photomaskorder formats now known or hereinafter developed. Additionally, thesystem and method of the present invention provides for the ability togenerate new photomask orders using existing photomask order data.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Photomasks are high precision plates containing microscopic images ofelectronic circuits. Photomasks are typically made from very flat piecesof quartz or glass with a layer of chrome on one side. Etched in thechrome is a portion of an electronic circuit design. This circuit designon the mask is also called “geometry”.

A typical photomask used in the production of semiconductor devices isformed from a “blank” or “undeveloped” photomask. As shown in FIG. 1, atypical blank photomask 10 is comprised of three or four layers. Thefirst layer 11 is a layer of quartz or other substantially transparentmaterial, commonly referred to as the substrate. The next layer istypically a layer of opaque material 12, such as Cr, which oftenincludes a third layer of antireflective material 13, such as CrO. Theantireflective layer may or may not be included in any given photomask.The top layer is typically a layer of photosensitive resist material 14.Other types of photomasks are also known and used including, but notlimited to, phase shift masks, embedded attenuated phase shift masks(EAPSM”) and alternating aperture phase shift masks (“AAPSM”).

The process of manufacturing a photomask involves many steps and can betime consuming. In this regard, to manufacturer a photomask, the desiredpattern of opaque material 12 to be created on the photomask 10 istypically defined by an electronic data file loaded into an exposuresystem which typically scans an electron beam (E-beam) or laser beam ina raster or vector fashion across the blank photomask. One such exampleof a raster scan exposure system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,737to Collier. Each unique exposure system has its own software and formatfor processing data to instruct the equipment in exposing the blankphotomask. As the E-beam or laser beam is scanned across the blankphotomask 10, the exposure system directs the E-beam or laser beam ataddressable locations on the photomask as defined by the electronic datafile. The areas of the photosensitive resist material that are exposedto the E-beam or laser beam become soluble while the unexposed portionsremain insoluble. In order to determine where the E-beam or laser beamshould expose the photoresist 14 on the blank photomask 10, and where itshould not, appropriate instructions to the processing equipment need tobe provided, in the form of a jobdeck.

After the exposure system has scanned the desired image onto thephotosensitive resist material 14, as shown in FIG. 2, the solublephotosensitive resist material is removed by means well known in theart, and the unexposed, insoluble photosensitive resist material 14′remains adhered to the opaque material 13 and 12. Thus, the pattern tobe formed on the photomask 10 is formed by the remaining photosensitiveresist material 14′.

The pattern is then transferred from the remaining photoresist material14′ to the photomask 10 via known etch processes to remove theantireflective material 13 and opaque materials 12 in regions which arenot covered by the remaining photoresist 14′. There is a wide variety ofetching processes known in the art, including dry etching as well as wetetching, and thus a wide variety of equipment used to perform suchetching. After etching is complete, the remaining photoresist material14′ is stripped or removed and the photomask is completed, as shown inFIG. 3. In the completed photomask, the pattern as previously reflectedby the remaining antireflective material 13′ and opaque materials 12′are located in regions where the remaining photoresist 14′ remain afterthe soluble materials were removed in prior steps.

In order to determine if there are any unacceptable defects in aparticular photomask, it is necessary to inspect the photomasks. Adefect is any flaw affecting the geometry. This includes chrome where itshould not be (chrome spots, chrome extensions, chrome bridging betweengeometry) or unwanted clear areas (pin holes, clear extensions, clearbreaks). A defect can cause the customer's circuit not to function. Thecustomer will indicate in its defect specification the size of defectsthat will affect their process. All defects that size and larger must berepaired, or if they can not be repaired, the mask must be rejected andrewritten.

Typically, automated mask inspection systems, such as those manufacturedby KLA-Tencor or Applied Materials, are used to detect defects. Suchautomated systems direct an illumination beam at the photomask anddetect the intensity of the portion of the light beam transmittedthrough and reflected back from the photomask. The detected lightintensity is then compared with expected light intensity, and anydeviation is noted as a defect. The details of one system can be foundin U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,702 assigned to KLA-Tencor.

After passing inspection, a completed photomask is cleaned ofcontaminants. Next, a pellicle may be applied to the completed photomaskto protect its critical pattern region from airborne contamination.Subsequent through pellicle defect inspection may be performed. In someinstances, the photomask may be cut either before or after a pellicle isapplied.

To perform each of the manufacturing steps described above, asemiconductor manufacturer (e.g., customer) must first provide aphotomask manufacturer with different types of data relating to thephotomask to be manufactured. In this regard, a customer typicallyprovides a photomask order which includes various types of informationand data which are needed to manufacture and process the photomask,including, for example, data relating to the design of the photomask,materials to be used, delivery dates, billing information and otherinformation needed to process the order and manufacture the photomask.

A long standing problem in the manufacture of photomasks is the amountof time it takes to manufacture a photomask from the time a photomaskorder is received from a customer. In this regard, the overall time ittakes to process a photomask order and manufacture a photomask can belengthy, and thus, the overall output of photomasks is not maximized.Part of this problem is attributable to the fact that many customers whoorder photomasks often place their orders in a variety of differentformats which are often not compatible with the photomask manufacturer'scomputer system and/or manufacturing equipment. Accordingly, thephotomask manufacturer is often required to reformat the order data andcondition it into a different format which is compatible with itscomputer system and/or manufacturing equipment, which can take a greatdeal of time, and thus, delay the time it takes to manufacture aphotomask.

In an attempt to address these problems, the photomask industry hasdeveloped various standard photomask order formats in which photomaskorders should be placed. For example, the SEMI P10 standard is onestandard format used in the manufacture of photomasks. Additionally, afew semiconductor manufacturers have developed their own proprietaryphotomask order format in which photomask orders are to be placed,rather than adopting a standard format. These standard and proprietaryphotomask order formats were created so that photomask orders would bereceived from customers in a uniform format, thereby reducing theoverall time it takes to manufacture a photomask.

Although the use of such standard and/or proprietary photomask orderformats are useful in reducing the time it takes to manufacturephotomasks, many semiconductor manufacturers have been reluctant toplace their photomask orders in such standard and/or proprietary formatsfor a variety of reasons. For example, the SEMI P10 standard orderformat is quite complicated and requires the customer placing the orderto have a sophisticated working knowledge of the requirements associatedwith such standard. Since many semiconductor manufacturers do notmanufacture photomask, such manufacturers may not have the resources,time or ability to learn the intricacies of such standard format. Thus,semiconductor manufacturers often provide a photomask manufacturer withphotomask order data in an unorganized and often incomplete manner. As aresult, the photomask manufacturer is required to parse through thisdata and organize it in a useful format (e.g., in the SEMI P10 format).Additionally, in those instances where incomplete photomask order datais provided to a photomask manufacturer, such manufacturer will berequired to request the missing information from the customer. As aresult, a great deal of time is often wasted in the process of obtaininga complete and accurate photomask order, and thus, the overall time thatit takes to manufacturer a photomask can be greatly delayed. There hasbeen a long felt need in the field of photomask manufacture for acustomer side system and method for automatically generating a completeand accurate photomask order in a standard and/or proprietary format.

In the past, AlignRite Corporation (a predecessor organization toPhotronics, Inc.), attempted to expedite the delivery of the electronicdata through the use of an Internet based delivery system. However,although the AlignRite System was capable of rapid delivery of thephotomask data from a customer to the computer system of the photomaskmanufacturer and was capable of validating the accuracy of this data inreal time, this prior system did not provide for the automatedgeneration of photomask order data in a single standard and/orproprietary format. In this regard, once the data was received from thecustomer, standard modifications to the data would also have to beentered manually by operators. Each time a manual change would have tobe entered, the risk of human error increased and the overall length ofthe job would be extended.

Others have disclosed systems in which manufacturing and billing dataare down-loaded over the Internet and verified on-line automatically.One such system is described in PCT Publication Number 02/03141,published on Jan. 10, 2002 to DuPont Photomask, Inc. More particularly,the DuPont Publication discloses a system in which photomask order datais entered on-line by a customer and transmitted to a photomaskmanufacturer for processing. In this system, a customer is prompted toenter photomask order data. Such data is transmitted to a photomaskmanufacturer, who in turn performs a diagnostic evaluation of the data.If any data is incomplete or inaccurate, the system sends a message tothe customer notifying him of such error. Thereafter, the user mustcorrect the error. After the data has been validated by the manufacturer(and corrected when necessary), the manufacturer processes this data andputs it into a standard (or proprietary) format, such as the SEMI P10standard format.

Although useful for diagnostic purposes, the system of the DuPont PCTPublication does not prevent errors from being entered in a photomaskorder. In this regard, this system is only able to identify errors in aphotomask order after the order has been entered by a customer andtransmitted to a photomask manufacturer. Upon receiving the order, thephotomask manufacturer validates the order information, and if itdetects an error, sends an error message to the customer and prompts thecustomer to correct such error. Additionally, this system does not placethe entered photomask order data into a standard format until after ithas been validated and received by the photomask manufacturer. In otherwords, the manufacturer is required to condition the data entered by acustomer into a standard format for manufacturer. As a result, a greatdeal of time is wasted correcting the customer's data entry mistakes andconverting the data into a standard format. Thus, there is a long feltneed for a system and method which generates photomask orders in astandard and/or proprietary order format and prevents errors during dataentry and prior to transmission to a photomask manufacturer.

After the manufacturing steps described above are completed, thecompleted photomask is sent to a customer for use to manufacturesemiconductor and other products. In particular, photomasks are commonlyused in the semiconductor industry to transfer micro-scale imagesdefining a semiconductor circuit onto a silicon or gallium arsenidesubstrate or wafer. The process for transferring an image from aphotomask to a silicon substrate or wafer is commonly referred to aslithography or microlithography. Typically, as shown in FIG. 4, thesemiconductor manufacturing process comprises the steps of deposition,photolithography, and etching. During deposition, a layer of eitherelectrically insulating or electrically conductive material (like ametal, polysilicon or oxide) is deposited on the surface of a siliconwafer. This material is then coated with a photosensitive resist. Thephotomask is then used much the same way a photographic negative is usedto make a photograph. Photolithography involves projecting the image onthe photomask onto the wafer. If the image on the photomask is projectedseveral times side by side onto the wafer, this is known as stepping andthe photomask is called a reticle.

As shown in FIG. 5, to create an image 21 on a semiconductor wafer 20, aphotomask 10 is interposed between the semiconductor wafer 20, whichincludes a layer of photosensitive material, and an optical system 22.Energy generated by an energy source 23, commonly referred to as aStepper, is inhibited from passing through the areas of the photomask 10where the opaque material is present. Energy from the Stepper 23 passesthrough the transparent portions of the quartz substrate 11 not coveredby the opaque material 12 and the antireflective material 13. Theoptical system 22 projects a scaled image 24 of the pattern of theopaque material 12 and 13 onto the semiconductor wafer 20 and causes areaction in the photosensitive material on the semiconductor wafer. Thesolubility of the photosensitive material is changed in areas exposed tothe energy. In the case of a positive photolithographic process, theexposed photosensitive material becomes soluble and can be removed. Inthe case of a negative photolithographic process, the exposedphotosensitive material becomes insoluble and unexposed solublephotosensitive material is removed.

After the soluble photosensitive material is removed, the image orpattern formed in the insoluble photosensitive material is transferredto the substrate by a process well known in the art which is commonlyreferred to as etching. Once the pattern is etched onto the substratematerial, the remaining resist is removed resulting in a finishedproduct. A new layer of material and resist is then deposited on thewafer and the image on the next photomask is projected onto it. Againthe wafer is developed and etched. This process is repeated until thecircuit is complete. Because, in a typical semiconductor device manylayers may be deposited, many different photomasks may be necessary forthe manufacture of even a single semiconductor device. Indeed, if morethan one piece of equipment is used by a semiconductor manufacturer tomanufacturer a semiconductor device, it is possible more than onephotomask may be needed, even for each layer. Furthermore, becausedifferent types of equipment may also be used to expose the photoresistin the different production lines, even the multiple identical photomaskpatterns may require additional variations in sizing, orientation,scaling and other attributes to account for differences in thesemiconductor manufacturing equipment. Similar adjustments may also benecessary to account for differences in the photomask manufacturer'slithography equipment. These differences need to be accounted for in thephotomask manufacturing process.

While the prior art is of interest, the known methods and apparatus ofthe prior art present several limitations which the present inventionseeks to overcome.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide arule-based system and method for automatically generating a photomaskorder into one or more standard and/or proprietary formats, wherein therules can be adapted or modified to meet any number of differentstandard and/or proprietary formats now known or hereinafter developed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rule-basedsystem and method for automatically generating a photomask order intoone or more standard and/or proprietary formats, wherein the system andmethod requires a user to follow a set of rules associated with astandard and/or proprietary format for photomask orders.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rule-basedsystem and method for automatically generating a photomask order intoone or more standard and/or proprietary formats, wherein an order isgenerated by merging existing photomask order(s) and/or templatescontaining photomask data into a single, new order.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rule-basedphotomask order system and method for reducing photomask order and dataentry times.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rule-basedphotomask order system and method for reducing transcription errorsassociated with the manual entry of photomask orders.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rule-basedphotomask order system and method for increasing the overall output ofphotomasks being manufactured.

It is another object of the present invention to solve the shortcomingsof the prior art.

Other objects will become apparent from the foregoing description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that the above and related objects of the presentinvention are obtained in the form of a rule-based system and method forgenerating a photomask order into a specified standard and/orproprietary photomask order format, wherein the system and method can beadapted to generate an order in a variety of different standard and/orproprietary formats.

More particularly, the system includes a server and an external datastorage media stored on the server. Rules and templates for facilitatingthe entry of photomask order data and for generating an order are storedin the external storage media. The external data storage media may be avariety of different types of storage media, including, but not limitedto, a relational database, an object-oriented class, an XML file andother similar storage media now known or hereinafter developed. Bymaintaining the storage media external to the system and by providingflexibility in the type of storage media that can be used with thesystem and method of the present invention, a variety of different usersand automated systems may operate the system dynamically across avariety of different platforms.

The external data storage media has stored thereon at least one templatefor the entry and storage of photomask order data, wherein the templateis created based upon the requirements of a specified photomask orderformat. Additionally, the external data storage media includes at leastone first set of rules corresponding to the at least one template,wherein the first set of rules include instructions which ensure that auser enters complete information into the template as required by thespecified order format. Additionally, the external data storage mediaincludes at least one second set of rules which corresponds to said atleast one template, wherein the second set of rules include instructionswhich ensure that the user enters accurate information into the templateas required by the specified format. Additionally, the system includes agraphical user interface in communication with the server, wherein theuser can create and modify templates, create and modify photomask orderdata, access the template(s) to enter photomask order data and generatean order in a specified format. These orders are saved on the system andcan be used by a user at a later time to create new orders based on theinformation saved in the order.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and related objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more fully understood by reference to the following,detailed description of the preferred, albeit illustrative, embodimentof the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingfigures, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a blank or undeveloped photomask of the prior art;

FIG. 2 represents the photomask of FIG. 1 after it has been partiallyprocessed;

FIG. 3 represents the photomask of FIGS. 1 and 2 after it has been fullyprocessed;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the method of using a processed photomaskto make or process a semiconductor wafer;

FIG. 5 shows the process of making a semiconductor using a waferstepper.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The present invention relates to a computerized rule-based system andmethod for automatically generating photomask orders in a specifiedformat, wherein a photomask customer desiring to place an order for aphotomask is guided through the process of entering an order in acomplete and accurate manner in accordance with the requirements of thespecified order format. To carry out these functions, the system andmethod utilizes the following four components to generate a photomaskorder into a desired format: (1) templates in which data is entered; (2)rules for converting the data entered in the templates into a specifiedstandard and/or proprietary format; (3) a method for using templates tocreate a photomask order in a specified format; and (4) a separate setof rule for validating photomask order against a specified standardformat. Software is implemented in this system to associate specifictemplates with specific rules to ensure that a customer enters completeand accurate photomask order information. Likewise, software isimplemented in the system of the present invention to associate specificphotomask orders with specific rules to ensure that a customer enterscomplete and accurate photomask order information.

Before describing this software, it is first necessary to describe themanner in which the templates, orders and rules are stored andorganized. More particularly, the system includes a server and anexternal data storage media stored on the server. Rules and templatesfor facilitating the entry of photomask order data and for generating anorder are stored in the external storage media. The external datastorage media may be a variety of different types of storage media,including, but not limited to, a relational database, an object-orientedclass, an XML file and other similar storage media now known orhereinafter developed. By maintaining the storage media external to thesystem and by providing flexibility in the type of storage media thatcan be used with the system and method of the present invention, avariety of different users and automated systems may operate the systemdynamically across a variety of different platforms.

In a preferred embodiment, a set of templates and orders are createdbased on the requirements of a particular standard and/or proprietaryphotomask order format. In this regard, the templates and orders areorganized as a hierarchy of components and subcomponents, wherein eachcomponent and subcomponent is defined by the requirements of aparticular standard and/or proprietary photomask order format. Forexample, a particular photomask order format may require that the maskdata component include certain subcomponents, such as a title, barcodeand pattern data, to name a few. Each of these subcomponents may havefurther detailed subcomponents (“child component”). For example, thepattern data component, which is a subcomponent of the mask datacomponent, may have a set of child components associated therewith.Depending upon the requirements of the standard and/or proprietaryphotomask order format, these child components may have additionalsubcomponents as well, which can in turn, have their own subcomponentsand so forth and so on. Each component and subcomponent is defined by aset of attributes (e.g., binary, string, integer, real number, date,Boolean, list, etc.). Since templates are used to create photomaskorders, the rules (discussed in more detail below) associated with agiven template can be can be a subset of the rules associated with thephotomask order that is created from the template. This will allow theuser to leave certain information or components out of a template in theevent that such information changes for each new order created from thegiven template. Table 1 demonstrates an example of how the componentsand subcomponents of the templates and orders may be organized accordingto a standard and/or proprietary photomask order format: TABLE 1 OrderSupplied Pattern Data Pattern Group Pattern Placement Mask Data TitleBarcode OPC Definition Array Registration Measure File Registration Dieto Data Inspection Die to Die Inspection Surface Definition VisualInspection Pattern Critical Dimension Die to Die Inspection Die to DataInspection Field Pattern Critical Dimension Die to Die Inspection Die toData Inspection

Preferably, each template and order is stored in a database, but mayalso be stored in other locations. A search engine may be provided onwhich users can search for a particular template or order stored in thedatabase. Using the search engine, the user can locate the appropriatetemplates that are needed to generate a photomask in a particular orderformat. Once such templates are located, data relating to a photomaskorder is entered by a user (typically, a photomask customer desiring toplace an order for a photomask). The user can also use the search engineto locate existing photomask orders for the purpose of completing thedata entry or modifying their content, as described below.

As noted above, a customer may not have sufficient knowledge of therequirements of a particular photomask order format, and thus, may notenter all necessary information required by such standards to completean order. Additionally, customers are prone to making data entry errors,and thus, may provide inaccurate information. Accordingly, a first andsecond set of rules are established and stored on the system to ensurethat the customer enters complete and accurate data into the templatesand orders, as required by a particular standard and/or proprietaryphotomask order format.

In the preferred embodiment, the first set of rules are established toensure that a user inputs all necessary data to output a completephotomask order, as specified by a particular standard and/orproprietary photomask order format. Preferably, the first set of rulesare established based on the requirements of a selected photomask orderformat. In this regard, the first set of rules dictate whether data“must” be input, “can” be input and/or “must not” be input into eachcomponent and subcomponent of a template or order, as dictated by thespecified photomask order format. Additionally, the first set of rulesshould be configured such that they will require the user to enterinformation into any other components which are required (as set forthin a particular standard and/or proprietary photomask order format) tocomplete a photomask order.

Thus, for example, referring to Table 1, a particular standard orderformat may require, with respect to the “Pattern” template, that for allEAPSM orders: placement data and critical dimensions data must beprovided; die to die inspection data may be provided; and die to datacannot be provided. Accordingly, rules are established and associatedwith the appropriate templates (and components and sub-components) whichrequire that: 1) the user “must” include placement data and criticaldimension data; 2) the user “can” include die to die inspection data;and 3) the user “must not” include die to data inspection data.Accordingly, in this example, when a user seeks to create an order foran EAPSM using the system and method of the present invention, the ruleswill: 1) require the user to input placement and critical dimensiondata; 2) permit (but not require) a user to enter die to die inspectiondata; and 3) preclude a user from entering die to data inspection.Additionally, the selected order format may require that in addition toPattern Data, Array Registration data must also be entered to complete aphotomask order. Accordingly, the first set of rules would also beconfigured such that once the user has completed entering all thepattern data, the user will be guided to the “Array Registration”template and be prompted to enter all required data into that template(and any other corresponding subcomponents of that template) as well.Similarly, if the standard and/or proprietary photomask order formatrequires the entry of data into any other templates to complete aphotomask order, the first set of rules will guide the user to suchother templates after the user has entered all data into the ArrayRegistration template, and prompt the user to enter all required datainto such template(s). Once the user has entered data in all requiredtemplates, the user will be permitted to finalize the template (subjectto entering data according to the second set of rules as discussedbelow).

Thus, as should be apparent, the first set of rules of the presentinvention ensure that the user enters the necessary information into theappropriate templates as required by a particular standard and/orproprietary format to generate a photomask order. Put another way, therules guide a user through the process of entering photomask order datato ensure that all necessary order information is entered into thetemplates.

Additionally, the system and method also provide for a second set ofrules which ensure that a user inputs data in an accurate and properformat, as specified by a particular standard and/or proprietaryphotomask order format. As noted above, each component and subcomponentof a template is defined by a set of attributes (e.g., binary, string,integer, real number, date, Boolean, list, etc.). Thus, in a preferredembodiment, a second set of rules are established for each template andorder that indicates to the user whether the data entered into aparticular template or order “must”, “can” and/or “must not” have aparticular attribute, as required by a particular standard and/orproprietary photomask order format. For example, referring to Table 1, aparticular standard and/or proprietary photomask order format mayrequire that: 1) the data entered into the placement template “must” bean integer; 2) the data entered into the title template “can” be astring; and 3) the data entered into the critical dimension template“must not” be a string. Accordingly, a rule is established for theplacement template which: 1) requires the user to enter an integer inthe placement template; 2) allows the user to enter a string into thetitle template; and 3) prevents the user from entering a string into thecritical dimension template. Thus, as should be apparent, the rules ofthe present invention ensure that the user enters the appropriate typeof information into each template as required by a particular standardand/or proprietary photomask order format to generate a photomask order.Put another way, the second set of rules only permit the user to enter acertain type of data into a template, and thus, reduce the possibilityof there being design errors and/or data entry errors in the process ofplacing a photomask order.

In a preferred embodiment, the first and second set of rules describedherein are created and stored separately. As noted above, the rules maybe stored either internal or external to the system in any differentnumber of dynamic formats (e.g., as a database, an object-orientedclass, an XML file, etc.) so that the system may be adapted to run onany number of platforms, depending the preferences or a user and/orautomated system. It should be noted, however, that a single set ofrules can be created and stored, provided that such single set of rulesboth ensures that a user both enters complete photomask orderinformation (as described with reference to the first set of rules) andenters accurate photomask order information (as described with referenceto the second set of rules). Further, the first and second set of rulesmay be combined as a single set of rules in a similar manner.

As noted above, the present invention includes a function to associatespecific first and second sets of rules with specific templates, toensure that a photomask order is generated in a complete and accuratemanner. In the preferred embodiment, this functionality is provided inthe form of a software-based application installed on the computer of anentity desiring to place an order for a photomask, such as asemiconductor manufacturer. Unlike the prior art, this software is notdependent on a given photomask manufacturer's manufacturing process.Rather, the software of the present invention can be deployed as astand-alone secure application, a network distributed application or aweb-based “thin-client” application. Preferably, the software isutilized in a client-server system, wherein a graphical user interface(e.g., the client) connects to and retrieves data from a database on theserver. In all cases, the customer running the software of the presentinvention is not required to access and/or login to any external localarea network of a photomask manufacturer to place an order.

The manner in which the software of the present invention associatesspecific rules with specific templates is now described. In particular,since the templates are hierarchical collections of data, each elementof a template is interpreted by an associated software object. In thepreferred embodiment, rules are embedded within the software objects andare responsible for the assembly of the data entered in the templates.These rules are constraints or instructions, such as an algorithm, andtypically relate to one or more attributes of the software object.Accordingly, with this arrangement, it is possible to enter a completeand accurate photomask order as the rules and templates areappropriately associated with each other.

Additionally, the system is preferably configured to permit the rulesand templates to be separately updated should the need arise. In thisregard, the current standard photomask order format is known as the SEMIP-10 standard format. However, it is anticipated that as technologicaladvances are made, a new standard format may be developed to cover theseadvances, and thus, replace the current SEMI P-10 standard format.Additionally, there are currently many other international standardorder formats that are used by photomask manufacturers overseas. As withthe SEMI P-10 format, it is expected that these international formatswill also change or be replaced over time. Thus, the system of thepresent invention provides for the ability to update the rules andtemplates to meet these changes. More particularly, the first and secondsets of rules are preferably stored as separate files from each of thetemplates, which are in turn also each stored as separate files. Bykeeping the rules and templates separate, any modification to one willhave no effect on the other. In this regard, when the rules or templatesare modified, there will be no need for a correlative code change to acorresponding element where none would be indicated by the proximatefeature modification. Additionally, by storing the rules and templatesseparately, the possibility of the occurrence of a system seize-up(e.g., where unanticipated changes to an embedded or inner-nestedelement might cause an unanticipated failure) can be avoided. In thisregard, if rules and templates were not stored separately, independentmodification would be impossible. Each existing template, of which therecould be thousands, would then have to be modified individually toinclude the new rules. Thus, as should be readily apparent, the systemand method of the present invention is not limited to any one particularstandard format, but rather can be easily adapted to conform to therequirements of any current or newly developed standard photomask orderformat. Similarly, a customer may change its proprietary order format tomeet any changes associated with new developments or improvedtechnologies.

To modify the rules, software objects are established such that therules contained therein may affect one or more of its attributes, itschildren or other rules contained within it. In this regard, the rulesare established such that only certain specified attributes are affectedby rules. Thus, since the software objects, like templates, arehierarchical in nature, they know both their parent and children.Accordingly, any time a child object is modified, it notifies its parentof the area, rules or attributes impacted by the change. As a result,any change made anywhere within the hierarchy of rules is propagatedthrough the entire family. Accordingly, the rules have the capability toenforce the addition of, or the removal of, any child element of theparent. Thus, within the application, each object is individuallyupdateable through subsequent releases of the software. Additionally,object parents maintain a standard collection for each type of childelement, which can be added or removed while the template is beingconstructed.

Templates can also be modified in response to a modification of astandard and/or proprietary photomask order format which requires theaddition of new attributes and/or subcomponents to be added to hierarchyof orders and templates. In such instances, the new relationships aredefined for affected components and/or subcomponents and new rules aredynamically added to the existing rule schema.

To illustrate these features of the present invention, the followingexample is now described. The current Semi P-10 standard requires that aphotomask order include, among other things: Mask Order[ ], Mask Set [], Mask Definition [ ], and Pattern Definition [ ]. Thus, according tothis requirement, the following templates would be established:SemiOrder Template, SemiMaskSet Template, SemiMask Template andSemiPattern Template. Additionally, a first and second set of rules foreach of these templates would be established which dictate whether datamust be entered into each of the templates and the type of data that canbe entered into such templates. However, at a later point in time, theSemi P-10 standard may be replaced by a new standard that requires a CDcomponent. Thus, the existing templates (e.g., SemiPattern) could bemodified to include, for example, a CD component to conform to amodification of the metrology aspect of the SEMI P-10 standard.Additionally, a new template could be created to conform to any newlyadded aspects (e.g., registration) of the new SEMI standard. Similarly,the already existing first and second set of rules could be adapted tomeet the changes associated with the modified CD component aspect of thecurrent SEMI P-10 standard. Additionally, a new set of first and secondset of rules could be created to conform to the new registration featureof the new SEMI standard.

Another aspect of the present invention is that it provides for theability to generate new photomask orders by: (1) merging data into a neworder from an already existing template having data contained therein;(2) merging data into a new order from an already existing order havingdata contained therein; or (3) merging data into a new order fromalready existing templates and orders. In this regard, whenever a userenters data into either a template or creates an order, such templateand/or order is saved on the system of the present invention.Thereafter, a user is able to access the already existing templatesand/or orders and use the data saved therein to generate a new order. Byproviding a user of the system of the present invention with the abilityto merge data from already existing orders and/or templates, the processfor entering photomask order data is greatly reduced, thereby reducingthe overall time it takes to manufacture a photomask order. Each of thethree methods for merging data into an order is described below.

In one embodiment, to create a new order from an existing template(s),the user is prompted to create a new, blank order. Next, the user isprovided with the option of selecting templates and/or orders which werecreated and saved from a previous photomask order. Depending upon thetype of photomask to be manufactured from the new order, the userselects and loads the most relevant template(s) stored in the relationaldatabase. The selected template is displayed to the user with previouslyentered data. For each non-null object within the template (e.g., theobject contains data), the user may either select the previously entereddata into the new order or over-write this data with new data.Additionally, to the extent that a particular object within a templateis null (e.g., it is already empty), the user may enter appropriate datawithin that object. Next, the rules established for this order operateas described above to ensure that data is accurately and completelyentered. Thereafter, the software processes this information andgenerates a new order based on this information.

The process for creating a new order from an already existing order issimilar to the process of creating a new order from an already existingtemplate. In this embodiment, to create a new order from an existingorder(s), the user is prompted to create a new, blank order. Next, theuser is provided with the option of selecting templates and/or orderswhich were created and saved from a previous photomask order. Dependingupon the type of photomask to be manufactured from the new order, theuser selects and loads the relevant order(s) stored in a relationaldatabase. The selected order is displayed to the user with previouslyentered data. For each non-null object within the order, the user mayeither select the previously entered data into the new order orover-write this data with new data. Additionally, to the extent that aparticular object within an order is null, the user may enterappropriate data within that object. Next, the rules established forthis order operate as described above to ensure that data is accuratelyand completely entered. Thereafter, the software processes thisinformation and generates a new order based on this information.

In yet another embodiment, to create a new order from both an existingtemplate(s) and order(s), the user is prompted to create a new, blankorder. Next, the user is provided with the option of selecting templatesand/or orders which were created and saved from a previous photomaskorder. Depending upon the type of photomask to be manufactured from thenew order, the user selects and loads the relevant template(s) stored ina relational database. The selected template is displayed to the userwith previously entered data. For each non-null object within thetemplate, the user may either select the previously entered data intothe new order or over-write this data with new data. Additionally, tothe extent that a particular object within a template is null, the usermay enter appropriate data within that object. Next, the rulesestablished for this order operate as described above to ensure thatdata is accurately and completely entered. Additionally, previouslysaved orders may also be merged into the same order. In this regard, theuser can select and load previously placed order(s) stored in arelational database. The selected order is displayed to the user withpreviously entered data. For each non-null object within the order(e.g., the object contains data), the user may either select thepreviously entered data into the new order or over-write this data withnew data. Additionally, to the extent that a particular object within aorder is already empty, the user may enter appropriate data within thatobject. Next, the rules established for this order operate as describedabove to ensure that data is accurately and completely entered. Once allof the appropriate templates and orders have been merged into the neworder, the software processes this information and generates a new orderbased on this information.

Now that the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described in detail, various modifications and improvementsthereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is to beconstrued broadly and limited only by the appended claims and not by theforegoing specification.

1. An automated system used to generate an order for manufacturing aphotomask comprising a computer readable medium capable of performingthe following steps: storing at least one updateable template for entryand storage of photomask order data based on requirements of a specifiedphotomask order format; separately storing at least one set ofupdateable rules associated with user entry of information into the atleast one updateable template; and applying the at least one set ofupdateable rules to the at least one updateable template so that a userenters information through a graphical user interface into the at leastone updateable template as required by the specified format based on theat least one set of updateable rules.
 2. The automated system of claim1, wherein the at least one updateable template and the at least one setof updateable rules are independently updateable.
 3. The automatedsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one updateable template and/orthe at least one updateable set of rules are updated in accordance withthe requirements of a particular standard and/or proprietary photomaskformat.
 4. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the at least oneupdateable template includes components, wherein data which can beentered into the components are set in accordance with the requirementsof a particular standard and/or proprietary photomask order format. 5.The automated system of claim 4, wherein the at least one updateabletemplate includes subcomponents, wherein data which can be entered intothe subcomponents are set in accordance with the requirements of aparticular standard and/or proprietary photomask order format.
 6. Theautomated system of claim 5, wherein the type of data that can beentered into the components and the subcomponents is limited to specificattributes set in accordance with the requirements of a particularstandard and/or proprietary photomask order format.
 7. The automatedsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of updateable rulescomprises a first set of updateable rules that specify the type ofphotomask data which must, can and/or must not be entered into the atleast one updateable template to complete a photomask order in aspecified format and a second set of updateable rules that specify thedata format in which the photomask data required to be entered by thefirst set of rules must, can and/or must not be input.
 8. The automatedsystem of claim 7, wherein the data format is a binary, string, integer,real number, date, Boolean and/or a list.
 9. An automated system used togenerate an order for manufacturing a photomask comprising a computerreadable medium capable of performing the following steps: storing atleast one updateable template for entry and storage of photomask orderdata based on requirements of a specified photomask format; separatelystoring at least one set of updateable rules associated with user entryof information into the at least one updateable template; and searchingfor specific templates and/or order data previously generated on thesystem using a search engine and merging the previously generatedtemplates and/or order data into at least one new order.
 11. Theautomated system of claim 10, further comprising replacing non-null datain the at least one new order with new data.
 12. The automated system ofclaim 11, further comprising entering new data into null data of the neworder.
 13. An automated system used to generate an order formanufacturing a photomask comprising a computer readable medium capableof performing the following steps: storing at least one updateabletemplate for the entry and storage of photomask order data based onrequirements of a specified photomask format; and separately storing atleast one set of updateable rules associated with user entry ofinformation into the at least one updateable template, wherein the atleast one updateable template is organized as an hierarchy of componentsand subcomponents, and each component and subcomponent is defined by therequirements of a particular standard and/or proprietary photomask orderformat.
 14. An automated system used to generate an order formanufacturing a photomask comprising a computer readable medium capableof performing the following steps: storing at least one updateabletemplate for the entry and storage of photomask order data based onrequirements of a specified photomask order format; and separatelystoring at least one set of updateable rules associated with user entryof information into the at least one updateable template, wherein the atleast one updateable template and/or the at least one set of updateablerules is updated to allow the system to generate at least two differentphotomask order formats.
 15. An automated system used to generate anorder for manufacturing a photomask comprising a computer readablemedium capable of performing the following steps: storing at least oneupdateable template for the entry and storage of photomask order databased on requirements of a specified photomask format; separatelystoring at least one set of updateable rules associated with user entryof information into the at least one updateable template; and searchingfor preexisting templates and/or order data previously generated on thesystem using a search engine and creating a new order using thepreexisting templates and/or order data.
 16. An automated system used togenerate an order for manufacturing a photomask comprising a computerreadable medium capable of performing the following steps: storing atleast one updateable template for the entry and storage of photomaskorder data based on requirements of a specified photomask format; andseparately storing at least one set of updateable rules associated withuser entry of information into the at least one updateable template,wherein the at least one template includes components and subcomponents,and one or more subcomponents may be copied to one or more othersubcomponents within the order in the specified format